I'm not sure how long we'll be staying in the village but there is at least another chapter here after this one. Byakko and the rest of Ibaraki's soul based power (Intent, Mana, Youjutsu, etc) will be back then. I'm mostly using this arc to firm up motivations and prepare for the Dragon Slaying event because after that we have to knock down a bunch of prepared obstacles and start into Slash/Dog so the pacing will pick back up significantly. Next chapter will be talking with the Oni villagers to 'remember' that side of Ibaraki and help her fix her shit. Enjoy!
Chapter Text
The rest of the trip was nice, even if our travelling was far slower than it had been before. We had to take a couple of stops to rest and refuel now that we are travelling with Takehiko but it was simple enough to create a small, comfortable, camp with Senjutsu.
Making benches grow from roots, flattening the ground, creating a denser canopy above us, all constitute uses that made good practice material for me. They are activities that I normally wouldn't have to do or even think of. Why would I when I could travel to my destination in less than a day? In attempting these alternate methods of using Ki it allowed me to hone my powers in a direction I wouldn't have tried without our newest companion. Perhaps not the most useful thing to do for increasing my raw power but the process was great for increasing my understanding of my less used abilities.
Other than those examples, just connecting to the world and 'asking' for a comfortable journey brought interesting results; bushes shifting slightly and grass softening, making a clear path on the shortest route, a cool breeze blowing along our path on a hot day, finding berries or nuts ready for consumption right near the trail, small things that were offered in exchange for simply asking. It was odd how without specifying a goal I would recieve something useful if less catered to my desires.
I'm slightly confused about the actual mechanics of the process since I'm mostly working off vague guesses based on what Susanoo said about water walking and how Kiyoshi uses his power around the village.
On one hand, it could be said that the 'earth', 'nature', or 'the collective of emotion in the natural ki' is appreciative of me purifying the energy around me and offers aid when I ask. However, since I don't specify the 'exact' result, it could also be said that purifying the ki around me produces beneficial effects on nature that approach my intended actions because I was the last one to touch the natural ki.
The difference between the two ideas being who is actually producing the result. Is it my intent that matters or the gratitude of nature? Are my actions the source or are the effects directed by a larger consciousness? I'm sure the difference between various shamanistic, and druidic perspectives and that of sages is their opinion on the actual mechanics and how that shapes what they are willing to use nature for.
That doesn't help me figure out which approach is more correct but in the end, it's the results that matter. To further my understanding I would need to either meditate on the topic and my attempts excessively or obtain a dedicated tutor on the subject. Neither of which is a proper use of my time at the moment since it won't develop my power in a meaningful fashion.
While I set up camp each day, I had Takehiko and Akeno hunt for our meals. Not only did it give them valuable experience in hunting, tracking, and coordination; it also got them a bit more used to spilling blood in a less visceral manner. I personally feel worse slaughtering animals than people at this point but the kids aren't my level of messed up.
I could head out, find some anthropomorphic monster and tell them to kill it but doing so would build resentment. They'll have to work their way up to that eventually but they wouldn't understand why I was having them do it even if I told them.
It wasn't as though we miraculously didn't come near any supernatural creatures either; we passed a fair amount of Yokai while travelling. To put it simply, however, they were too afraid of me to approach. Even predatory animals have a strong enough danger sense to avoid my general area; A primal fear and a sixth sense that causes them to give me a wide berth as I pass through their territory. Nothing we came across was brave enough or stupid enough to try anything with me around, including when the kids were off hunting. The kids never strayed far enough for the monsters lurking in the dark to shake off their fear and attack.
I could hide my presence and lull them into a false sense of security but I don't think the kids are ready for that yet. Akeno could probably kill most of the Yokai in the forest but I don't think she has the mentality to pull that off yet. Not without me having to piece her back together after she breaks down. She doesn't enjoy slaughter or torture in any real fashion, not like the sadistic young woman from canon. Even though there are a few out there that have managed to become fairly strong it isn't them hurting Akeno I would be worried about, it's her reaction to hurting them.
Takehiko, on the other hand, isn't strong enough for most things here. Those creatures that Akeno would struggle with, but likely survive, would slaughter him swiftly. He lacks the raw physical or magical ability to easily deal with threats. Unlike Akeno, I don't fear his mentality shattering from killing either. So long as he's focused on his technique he won't even pause to cut down his opponent and his conviction to become a hero is too strong for him to break down after the fight.
Instead, I diminished my presence enough that they could hunt the occasional larger animal -bear, boar, dear, and the like- while still leaking enough malice out to stave off the more threatening beasts -Yurei, giants, kamaitachi, or solitary tengu. Smaller creatures have no problem with my presence like insects, birds, lizards. After all, an ant doesn't fear an elephant.
After a few days of a fairly sedate pace, we managed to reach the perimeter of Oni territory. I will admit that I had forgotten how… excentric my people could be. I can't stop a chuckle from bursting out when I see how they decided to mark our territory.
Strung up between two massive trees is a sign that reads, 'Crucible Village' writ in a questionable red ink that smells suspiciously metallic. Hardly sanitary but diseases are for lesser beings. Pestilence holds no grip on the mighty Oni! Carved underneath the name of the village is a challenge for anyone strong to come fight, feast, and/or fuck. Not necessarily in that order.
That part is relatively tame and far more restrained than I had expected. No, the amusing part is the partially decomposed skeleton that has been melded into the trunk of one of the trees. More important than the skeleton itself is the holy vestments it wears and the cross that has been shoved into the skull's forehead, right beneath its bishop hat.
On the other tree because my people want to offend everyone, is a warped humanoid skeleton that is hard to describe without any flesh but looks to be a cross between a snake, a bear, and a person. Rammed into its forehead, in the same fashion as the venerable bishop, is a glowing red rook piece. So a stray devil ventured too close to the village as well.
Looking past the 'gate', I can see even more skeletons strung up along the path. Not enough to be cliche, this isn't Wallachia, but enough to reinforce the initial impression; A 'subtle' fuck off if you are here to mess around or waste time. It's a spirited approach that is certain. I doubt the church or heaven will be too happy when they see this eventually though. Eh, problem a for future me.
"Oh my god…" After saying this, Takehiko turns and throws up in the bushes. While he's heaving I rub his back soothingly which he doesn't flinch away from. That's good at least, it would have been super awkward if I brought him all the way here and he ran back home because of this. Actually, paying more attention to my senses he's vomiting from the smell of rotting flesh rather than the actual death.
Akeno looks vaguely uncomfortable with the grotesque display but more akin to the disgust of finding an insect too close to your food than anything more intense. A mild level of offence if you will. Yeah, she wouldn't be sympathetic for the church or devils.
"Don't worry kiddo, this is a warning to people with malicious intentions. It makes it so we don't need to slaughter more people. Most people are less likely to start trouble if they have a clear example of the consequences." Left unsaid is that it also acts as a challenge, provoking those that don't fit in the aforementioned category.
"I'm fine, I was surprised is all. I'm not used to the smell yet but I will be!" Takehiko puts on a brave face and marches through the gate first. He does make sure to keep his eyes on the path rather than the 'decorations' however. If he still plans to become a hero, he should get used to seeing dead bodies. These ones he has the benefit of both not knowing and not being responsible for.
I ruffle Akeno's hair and we follow after my student. We still have a few miles of forest to walk through but I can sense all the Oni in the village now, having finally gotten close enough that their Ki signatures entered my range.
I immediately notice a few whose signatures are far more potent than the rest.
Akio, whose Ki is the strongest out of the villagers, has grown a lot since my departure. He's clearly taken his duties as my second-in-command seriously. His signature is aggressive and battle-hungry but far more in control than say, Yaeko. His Ki constantly surges, a never-ending state of excitement, yet he uses his discipline to keep it contained and stable. It's constrained tightly enough that I would have thought his Ki solid if not for how much it fights the containment.
I'll have to show him how to collapse his Ki on itself to restrain and build it if it's so active.
Focusing on another signature, Kiyoshi's in this case shows he too hasn't neglected training. While his Ki signature is restrained and devoid of any aggression, the sheer volume of his reserves is actually greater than Akio's. The quality of the energy is less, and the density is almost gaseous in comparison to Akio's solid energy. Their development paths couldn't be more opposite and it's interesting to compare the two and there results.
Actually, now that I'm paying more attention and know what I'm looking for, I can feel his Ki scattered thinly across the entire territory. His Ki drifts through the air and twists through the ground; it's absorbed by the plants and spread out through the leaves of the trees.
I feel a poke on my shoulder and look at Akeno in confusion. She stares at me completely deadpan before hooking the corners of her mouth with her fingers and pulling them into a parody of a smile and rolling her eyes. "You're smiling like a weirdo, Ibaraki-san. Not to mention your Touki has slipped out."
"Oops? I just got excited that's all." Apparently, I released enough energy for someone to notice as Kiyoshi's signature disappears -no, not disappears, slides through the local root systems.
A high-speed movement technique, close to teleportation, that relies on being in nature and inside a familiar territory. Similar to say, shadow travel but using nature. Another example of what Senjutsu can be capable of should they develop down a different path. It seems it's true that there are no set paths to power, only what ones own efforts can bring to fruition.
He pops out of the tree trunk next to Takehiko and I smile when my student immediately tries to bisect Kiyoshi. Akeno, not one to be outdone, fires a lightning bolt at the sudden intruder. Bark wraps around Kiyoshi's arms and he blocks the sword and lightning simultaneously. His defence works well against the sword but Akeno didn't hold back and he gets some gruesome Lichtenberg Figures on his arm.
He probably would have avoided both attacks if not for pausing upon seeing me. With the attacks halted, he ignores the kids and bows in my direction. "Ibaraki-sama, we weren't expecting you back so soon. The village will be overjoyed by your visit."
I reward him with a smile, a genuine one that I hadn't expected. "I'm excited to be back, Kiyoshi. I see things have been interesting in my absence."
Kiyoshi smiles softly and brushes some stray hair out from in front of his eyes. "Yes, we had some visitors who had forgotten their manners. They tried to claim this territory as theirs so we let them know who ruled over these parts."
Akeno and Takehiko have both settled down after seeing my interaction with Kiyoshi. I'm happy that they can both react to sudden danger and re-evaluate a threat based on new information. It probably helps that Kiyoshi didn't attack them though.
I pat Kiyoshi on the shoulder and heal the burns Akeno caused. He dips his head in acknowledgement and turns to Akeno, "You are interesting. Your energy is similar to the priests who attacked Ibaraki-sama's forest. Yet it is far more potent, though corrupted. Who are you?"
"My name is Akeno Himejima, please take care of me Kiyoshi-san." He hums idly as he scans Akeno.
"You've trained her." A statement, not a question I notice.
"Of course, she's important to me." I notice Akeno blush as Kiyoshi frowns.
"And the boy? I see an imprint of your sword technique inside him but no personal instruction. A stalker?" Takehiko chokes on air at the accusation, frantically waving his arms to deny Kiyoshi's assessment.
"A student. I left him an opportunity to prove his worth and he has." Kiyoshi looks at Takehiko again before clicking his tongue.
"Weak body, too fragile." He purses his lips as though not enjoying the flavour of his next words.
"He possesses a strong will, however. With time he can rise above his weakness. Decisive in battle, not easily intimidated. The others will want to fight him before that happens; the excitement of someone new to spar will be too much." Problematic considering that few Oni possess the restraint necessary to not kill my cute little student.
"They won't challenge my will. That would only lead to death." I continue walking toward the village without waiting for a response. It wasn't a question anyways.
"He will be able to spar with the village children for the time being. It will help them train their control and accelerate my student's growth." Akeno and Takehiko jog to catch up to the two of us, not having expected us to suddenly continue walking before the conversation was done.
"I will keep watch and ensure no attempts are made by the others to circumvent your orders." I'm happy that there was an Oni in the village who naturally developed into a living security system. It's like having my own Argus Panoptes. His control of the environment makes him even more valuable.
Akeno flies up beside me and punches me in the shoulder. Her cheeks are puffed out cutely in annoyance. "You never said you were important."
Takehiko runs in front of us and looks back appearing impressed. "Shishou, I didn't know you were royalty or something!"
I open my mouth to correct him but cock my head as I think about it for a moment. Technically, I'm from the direct bloodline of Ibaraki-Douji who, by all indications, was essentially Oni nobility. By founding his own little nation that elevates him to a form of royalty, so as his descendant and successor…
Wait, don't get lost in that thought! Something more important and offensive was said before that, "What do you mean not important, brat!"
I grab Akeno in a headlock and rub my knuckles into the top of her head. "I'm the ruler of a sovereign nation. Tch, I'll show you important."
After I let Akeno go she sticks her tongue out at me. Unlike that traitor, Takehiko is suitably in awe of my status. "Wow, I'm the disciple of a princess!"
Gah, not you too! I clutch my wounded heart in despair. "It's chief, eternal ruler, unmatched-warrior-under-the-myriad-heavens, divine empress even! Not princess, never princess!"
How can children manage to be so casually cruel?
Kiyoshi is too aloof to support me in asserting that 'princess' is not and will never be a fitting title while Byakko is still maintaining radio silence. I've never felt more alone in this world.
Ah well, I cut the act out and straighten out my expression. I get the attention of both Akeno and Takehiko before seriously asking. "Akeno, why do you think I was even able to talk to Yasaka? Or ignoring that example, how would I get a Zen Master to be your and Shuten's tutor without a suitable background?"
"As to whether I'm royalty? Not really. What I am is the ruler of an entire species; a species that holds an important historical position and is naturally gifted. Due to that, I'm afforded attention not dissimilar to… higher nobility probably?" I'm surprised there hasn't been more negative attention directed my way but I don't think I'm well known enough for that yet.
"My position in Kyoto is an awkward middle ground since the Oni are nominally a part of the Youkai faction but have never been considered as such by the other clans outside a legal fiction. Too powerful to push away and normally too uncontrollable to pull in completely."
My explanation has killed all the enthusiasm from the kids because apparently royalty equals excitement but politics equals boredom. Tch, how do you think I feel having to actually navigate politics?
"How have things been in my absence outside the unwelcome visitors?" Akeno starts up a conversation with Takehiko as I address Kiyoshi. The two have become fairly comfortable with each other over the course of our travels. I wouldn't say they were friends but certainly acquaintances.
"The people have been content for the most part, though some of the more… energetic citizens are becoming antsy. Now that they can potentially leave the village and experience new things it is getting harder for them to restrain themselves from doing so." I nod having expected this eventually. I had hoped they would be able to hold themselves back for longer though.
"They want new challenges and to fight unknown opponents, correct?" Kiyoshi sighs and shrugs as though saying, 'what can you do'. As someone less hot-blooded and nominally a craftsman it would be odd if he understood that feeling.
"Will my return be exciting enough for them to wait a while longer?" Kiyoshi pauses to think my question over.
"It should tide them over for a month or two." I pinch the bridge of my nose in exasperation. I don't know how long I'm supposed to stay in the village yet I have a feeling it's longer than a month or two.
If they want fights then I can get them the fights they wish for. By sending them to the Golden Dragons it would also go a long way to protecting my interests there. The problem is both logistics and the chances of them running into something on the way. "If I gave them directions to reach Kyoto and instructions on who to contact when they got there what are the chances they would get sidetracked?"
Kiyoshi grimaces and suddenly finds the scenery around us far more interesting. "Very high then."
"So I need to choose someone sensible who would travel with them and to ensure they go where I want them." I can't send Kiyoshi or Akio as both are too useful in the village. That leaves me with taking the time to meet my citizens and recruit someone for the job. Well, I would have to talk to my people eventually. I should try to make that sound less like a punishment.
"Are all the children healthy and happy?" I flush at my own wording. I should try to sound like a leader, not a preschool teacher.
Kiyoshi smirks at me but thankfully doesn't comment on my word choice. "Yes, Ibaraki-sama. Akio has been leading the children in morning exercises in the town square, teaching them the basics of martial arts."
"Their parents are also happy with the new system. Some initially assumed there would be children who would be lacking in ability but thankfully all the children are as strong as can be expected." I grimace at that, not having anticipated any pushback for not sentencing children to a battle royale. In hindsight, it was a big part of the culture that I took out wholesale without any warning.
"As long as nobody has tried to cull the 'weakest' children." Akeno and Takehiko are too engrossed in their conversation to notice the grim topic.
"The parents will be happy that their children can receive names now that you have returned." I freeze, nearly tripping from my abrupt stop.
"They haven't named their children yet?" Kiyoshi looks legitimately confused at my surprise.
"No? Why would they give up the honour of their child being named by their chief? This is also the first generation born during your reign, it would be auspicious to be both named by you and be part of the eponymous 'golden generation." I cringe at the name and the idea of naming all the kids. Thankfully the village population wasn't that large to begin with, the number of children being only around fifteen when I left. There couldn't have been too many born in the few months I've been gone.
Right?
When we get within a few hundred feet of the village itself I stop and pull Takehiko aside. Putting both hands on his shoulders, I make sure he's focused on me. "When we are inside the village I want you to promise me that you are always with either me, Akeno, or Kiyoshi."
"Okay…" He looks at me confused as to why I'm bringing this up and I sigh.
"This will probably offend you but it's important. Nearly everyone in this village is stronger than you. The only ones that aren't are newborns, infants." As predicted his face flushes in offence, his brows furrowing and lips forming a tight frown. I forestall any protest by barrelling through into my explanation again.
"You just started training and these people have been fighting their entire lives, there is no shame in being weaker than them. I'm only telling you this because if you fight them they may accidentally kill you. Not to mention, when they find out you are my personal student, they will seek you out to fight." It may erode a bit of my authority to constantly refuse challenges for Takehiko but a demonstration of my own strength should bring everyone back in line.
Takehiko bites his lip and takes a glance over to Akeno. "Why are you telling me this but not Akeno? What, because I'm human I'm just immediately lesser?"
He looks at me accusingly as though I'm being racist for no reason. Sadly for him, I feel no guilt from his look. "Yes, that is exactly what I'm saying."
Not having expected me to put it so bluntly, naked shock greets my words. "What? You can't be serious!"
"I am dead serious. This world isn't some perfect paradise where every living being is born on equal standing and with the same potential. Do you think when a dragon is born its strength is equivalent to a human infant?" I scoff and shake my head. "A dragon can do nothing but exist and it will grow to have enough power to wipe out a nation."
Not exactly the truth but close enough that it doesn't matter. With dragons, it would more depend on their bloodline whether that was possible. Although even dragons that are barely draconic have more natural potential than most other species. A being that was one-tenth dragon would quickly grow stronger than say a quarter-devil.
"When I was a year old I was stronger than an average adult human." I leave out the part where I had done a live test to prove that fact but the point still stands.
"So what, I'm going to be forever useless? Should I have just died with my parents so you didn't have to waste your time?" Takehiko clenches his fists and glares down at the ground.
I pinch the bridge of my nose and exhale heavily. Not my point whatsoever. I thought we were past the martyr stage? "Siegfried. Arthur Pendragon. Fionn mac Cumhaill. Lu Bu. Beowulf. Odysseus. Orpheus. Miyamoto Musashi. Vasco Strada."
"Off the top of my head, I can list nine humans who wrote their names into history, astonishing the world with their strength or accomplishments. Not Demigods, like Herakles or Arjuna, not Half-Devils, like Merlin, Humans." I crouch down and pull Takehiko into a hug. It could be argued that most of my examples had weapons of great power, the resources of nobility, and possibly Sacred Gears but I'm not going to undermine my own point out loud. Except Strada, he's just that unnatural.
"Those dragons I said were stronger than humans? Siegfried killed one. King Arthur brought together the people of Britain and forged an eternal kingdom. Orpheus almost managed to bring his wife back from the underworld, with nothing but his skill in music! He was closer than Izanagi, a capital-G god, was! At least Orpheus failed because of a moment of weakness, Izanagi gave up because he was disgusted by Izanami's appearance." I cough realizing I got off track a bit.
I pointedly don't draw attention to the sniffles and dampness on my shoulder in an effort to spare Takehiko's pride. He laughs and hiccups, "I don't know who most of those people are but I think I understand what you mean."
Oh, right, not everyone is a mythology nut... "My point is, you may have started your journey weak but that doesn't mean you can't grow stronger. I wouldn't have taught you anything if I didn't think you could become great."
"I'll be careful in the village, Shishou." I affectionately ruffle his hair and give him a moment to fix his appearance. It wouldn't be a good idea to show weakness the instant we enter the village; bad first impressions and all that.
I back away to give him space and start to walk away before I add a final point, "Just keep your body positioning and expression in mind. Make sure you're ready to draw your sword but don't make it look as though you're eager to do so."
He tilts his head as he thinks about that. I nod when he moves into a more combat ready posture but keeps his facial expression impassive. Tense but not intense; ready for battle but not excited for it.
Taking a deep breath I stride to the front of the group. Without me having to say anything the kids fall in line behind me and Kiyoshi rounds out our formation at the back. This is the safest place for the kids to be and with me at the front I should be the main focus.
As I take my first step inside the village in the larger part of a year, I release my Ki outward to announce my presence. Immediately I hear gasps of surprise, and any commotion in the village quiets down. I keep my eyes on the center of the village but in my peripheral vision I can see people leaning out of their doorways to see if I've truly returned.
The emotions mainly consist of excitement and shock. Not a fanatical level of excitement but enough that I don't feel worried about how my return is received. I'm somewhat happy about that since it means the hero worship that was present after I killed the Elder has died down a fair amount. I've never been a people person so the raw worship was disconcerting to say the least.
The person most excited is Akio who is waiting at the center of the village. Surrounding him are the weakest signatures in the village, the children, as well as some of their parents. The children are all tired and happy which leads me to believe that they've just finished their training for the day.
There are still only fifteen kids, though those are only the ones that are old enough to do physical activity. They range in age from three as the oldest to eight months old at the youngest. The youngest are being held by their parents and just watching. It will get them used to the training before they physically participate.
I wouldn't be surprised if there were at least five more that have been born or were currently being carried by their mothers. With the barrier around the village down, there wasn't any need to limit reproduction anymore. Some had been liberally taking advantage of that fact before I left. I could check to see if my guess was right but there isn't exactly any point right now.
Akio beams as we get close and pounds his fist against his chest once before giving me a bow. I grin when a couple of the older kids clumsily mimic him; one even losing his balance and falling over by accident.
Adorable little murder beasts.
"Welcome back home, Ibaraki-sama!" I smile at the welcome, nodding in response.
"It's good to be back, Akio. Thank you for taking care of the village while I was gone." His eyes glimmer with pride. Though he should be proud considering that it was a toss-up whether I would return to a ruined village or not. I almost expected it if I'm being honest.
"Of course! Something like this was nothing for your right-hand man." He fidgets slightly and his Ki surges even more fiercely.
I sigh fondly, "If the kids are taken care of we can have a short spar as a reward."
Akio chuckles sheepishly and the children all rush out to their parents. Without any instruction from me a barrier made out of wood starts to grow around us; to protect the kids from air pressure more than anything.
Both of us feel a sense of relief as we allow our Ki to slip from its constraints, the vigorous life force unfurling outwards.
Akio wears his Ki like armour, wrapping his Touki over his body. The majority flows past his fingers and toes to form razor-sharp claws. The claws of Ki take on a blood-red tinge and Akio bares his teeth at me.
I can't sense it right now because Byakko's still messing around in my soul but that looks like some form of Intent. Hm, Claw Intent if that's a thing? More than likely it's just Killing Intent manifested physically.
I haven't formed my Ki into Touki yet, wanting to see how he's improved. My raw physical ability used to be more than enough to outpace his Touki and I haven't slacked on improving my abilities. Theoretically, I should be fine. It would be wrong, however, to assume he hasn't made more progress with his Touki than I have on my physical prowess.
I've been trying to improve a number of diverse abilities simultaneously, therefore if he only trained one thing he could have made enormous strides.
I blink and he bursts into motion, his right arm spearing toward my neck. I redirect his thrust across his chest with my left hand and spin, my abs flexing and my right elbow rising; his momentum and my motion align so my right elbow is driven into the side of his head.
There is a rush of air and a deafening bang as his Touki takes the impact, a ripple and some small cracks forming before quickly smoothing back out.
His weight shifts with my strike and he lashes out with a sweeping kick that aims to drag his Ki claws across my unprotected back. In response, I duck low and allow his leg to swing over me as I turn to face him fully.
I allow him to regain his form while I reassess his abilities. His Touki is harder and the enhancement it provides is stronger than I had expected. Not to mention, that just by hearing the sound his claws make in the air, the claws are significantly sharper.
Unlike my positive assessment of his progress, Akio has come to a different conclusion based on his frown. "What was that supposed to do?"
"Eh? What do you mean?" He growls and throws his hands up in the air.
"There was no feeling behind that blow you hit me with! Not to mention you pushed my attack away." I frown, not understanding what he's getting at.
"It's a spar, I'm not going to cripple you for no reason." He emits a strangled noise of bewilderment.
"I'll heal! Better I heal from you taking an arm off than be depressed because you were messing around in a fight." Oh, that's right. I wasn't even thinking about the fact that he could heal from me ripping an arm off within the day; even less if he reattaches it. Have I become so tame from living in Kyoto?
No, fuck that.
Akio doesn't have time to react before I shove an entire Touki enhanced arm through his chest. I grab the back of his head with that same hand and start to pull backwards. I can see his neck straining from the effort of stopping me and blood dribbles from his mouth due to his shredded lung. He reaches behind his head with one arm and tries to crush my wrist; with the other, he tries to push against my shoulder to get himself off my arm.
I can't help but start to laugh, having forgotten the rush that comes with spilling blood like this.
My laughter is cut short when Akio's claws rake down the side of my face before cutting my arm off at the shoulder. His feet press against my abdomen and he pushes himself away but not before ripping my stomach open.
The flesh around my shoulder bubbles as my Ki speeds up the healing, a new arm growing back in a few seconds. My other arm is busy clearing my abdomen so the wound can close.
Akio spits out a mouthful of blood and gives me a grin, the lower half of his face and his chest covered in red. The hole in his chest is slowly closing and I can feel his excitement coming back.
I roll my shoulder getting a feel for the newly regenerated arm and stretch out my torso to make sure everything healed correctly. I smirk cheekily at Akio, "Are you good to go again?"
He charges me laughing and I meet him halfway. A swipe of his clawed hand skitters across my Touki covered forearm and I shatter one of his ankles with a quick kick. He ignores the broken ankle and drives his knee up into my gut. The force lifts me off the ground but doesn't damage me through my Touki.
What it does do is cause my retaliatory jab to come up short, the air pressure blowing his hair back. His ankle snaps back into place and hits me in the chest with a double palm strike. Since I'm still in the air, I'm sent flying backwards into the barricade.
I turn in mid-air, my legs coiling as they meet the wooden barricade. Kiyoshi has been paying attention because I feel the wood being reinforced as I push off, sending myself flying back at Akio.
I watch Akio's eyes widen as I palm his face like a basketball and slam him into the ground. His body creates a crater in the ground and kicks up a cloud of dust. I can see the strain on his body as he tries to lift himself back up. The energy expenditure to seal his chest and repair his broken ankle have drained too much of his stamina.
I take the time to lift my leg up and drop an axe kick on his back, deepening the crater he's in with the second impact. I shake the blood off my heel that comes from his broken back and shattered spine.
He taps out and rolls over once I'm finished healing him. He's grimacing but the light in his eyes is enough for me to tell he's happy with our short fight. He wipes some blood onto the back of his hand and forces a grin, "There's the chief we missed!"
I snort in amusement and help Akio up, dragging him out of the crater as the wooden barricade starts to come down. No longer focused on my fight, I can hear the excited babbling of the Oni children as they talk about how cool we were. Their parents are indulgently telling them that if they work hard they will be that strong eventually too.
Kiyoshi is glaring at Akio with narrowed eyes, seemingly chastising him for picking a fight he knew he would lose. Akio for his part just grins back unrepentantly causing Kiyoshi to sigh in exasperation.
Akeno looks like she's a mix of horrified and reluctantly impressed. That expression is gradually melting into a pure resignation. Join the cause Akeno! One of us, one of us! Screw water, bloodthirst is the only thirst you need.
Takehiko has a thousand-yard stare of complete contemplation. He seems to have gotten something from watching that brief bout of combat; either that or he's trying to think about what he would do and how he would fare in the same situation.
It's probably better to just discuss it with him now rather than wait to see what he comes up with. "Yo, Takehiko, what are you thinking?"
He snaps out of his fugue state and blinks at me, "Ah well, counters mostly."
"Alright then. How would you respond to Akio's opening move?" I glance to Akeno and nod at her so she gets the message that she should be thinking of an answer as well.
"Tilt my head to the side and disembowel him as his momentum carries him past me." He frowns and looks at Akio shrewdly.
"Regenerator… Spin and finish with decapitation as he recovers from the first wound." I ruffle his hair as he says such cute things. Nothing is more adorable than one of my students talking about death.
Akio laughs heartily at Takehiko's scenario. It would never work given the physical disparity but it is a good plan. "Assume he dodges the follow-up. Akeno, your turn."
"Am I assuming I have my Naginata?" I tilt my head and shrug at the question.
"Sure, sounds good to me." Akeno taps her chin, considering.
"Plant the butt cap into the ground and brace so he impales himself or retreats." She has a faint look of distaste and mouths an apology to Akio. "Reinforce the blade with Holy Lightning so it, um, does more damage."
She stumbles over the idea of killing Akio, unlike Takehiko who is able to think purely tactically about the scenario. "If he doesn't dodge that will be the end and if he does I'll block the retaliation with one of my wings and fire a bolt of Holy Lightning. At that range he won't be able to dodge."
"Great! Takehiko?" My student grimaces at the question.
"I would lose in a long fight so I would have to immediately close the distance again, hoping he wouldn't expect it. I would also have to either aim for the head or cut under his shoulder and through his torso to destroy his heart." I nod with an approving smile, gesturing for him to continue.
"If I missed he could trap my sword and kill me with a single attack. If my sword is trapped then even if I let go and dodge I wouldn't be able to attack again." He sighs loudly, closing his eyes. "I understand what you mean by this style being essential. Any attempts at a prolonged fight would lead to defeat."
"You both did excellently, I'm proud of you!" Akeno squeaks when I pull her into a group hug with Takehiko, the two blushing in embarrassment when I let them go.
"Now we feast!" I shout, cheers following my announcement. I'm a little surprised but it's good to be back.